January 07, 2009

In lieu of banner ads, advertisers increasingly are building mobile
applications that provide contained brand experiences along with a
usefulness that keeps users interacting with the brand. In the past
month, brands such as Kraft, Nike, Gap, REI and Friskies have built
applications for everything from planning a dinner menu to downloading
snow reports. - Via AdAge

Attention all you New Yorkers...January is Learn to Ride month. Days on the hill make great family and friends outings.

Safe to say that diversity isn't an issue on the east coast, especially the NYC metro area. So its going to be interesting to see how snowboarding participation grows in this region. Its mostly that folks really don't have enough info about learn to ride programs available to them.

But in New York City,
inexpensive day trips to nearby mountains seem more popular than ever.
Operated by ski and sports shops like Emilio’s (112-32 Queens
Boulevard, Forest Hills; 718-544-0404; www.emiliosskishop.com), Blades Board & Skate (two Manhattan locations; 212-787-3911; www.bladesnyc.com) and Paragon Sports (867 Broadway, 212-255-8889; www.paragonsports.com),
these trips typically depart from the store between 3:30 and 6:30 in
the morning, deposit you at the mountain just after 9 a.m. and leave
for the city about 4:30 p.m. - Via NYTimes

This a cool contest that Coast Body Wash is running...rider above Jamie Madrid.

The contest is open to snowboarders around the world. We're looking for
all the rippers out there to submit two videos. Each video will fall
into one of two categories: Best Action or Special Something. Best
Action is self-explanatory, but what is Special Something? Well, that's
up to you. Sponsorship means a lot more than just having the biggest
bag of tricks. Coast is looking for a true spokesperson. Do you read to
the blind? Help save the whales? Make straight A's? Anything you think
is going to help your cause with the judges should be included in
Special Something. Via - Snowboard Mag

Gatorade has decided to invest in the action sports market. It's pretty obvious they see the multicultural youth market as means of connecting by inking Chaz Ortiz and Nigel Sylvestor to deals. Both are emerging athletes...

While energy drinks and soda brands have long been attached to
action sports, Gatorade has stepped up to become the first isotonic
beverage sponsor of action sports athletes and properties. The brand
has begun a push into action sports by signing three athletes,
including 14-year-old skateboarding phenom Chaz Ortiz.

The brand signed a multiyear deal with Ortiz that sources valued in
the low to mid-six figures annually. He will be the cornerstone of
Gatorade’s action sports campaign and will be featured alongside its
marquee athletes, including Derek Jeter, Dwyane Wade and Peyton Manning. Via - Sports Business Journal

Check out what the Boy Scouts of America have decided to focus on this year....

The 100-year-old organization has adopted a branding department and a
marketing group; is working with PR shop Fleishmann Hilliard on a
centennial campaign; and is trying to make the scouting experience more
relevant with moves such as adding GPS systems to the traditional
compass for hiking trails. But in what looks to be the biggest
marketing shift for the organization, the Boy Scouts are now targeting
Latino youths -- a particularly sparse segment of membership in a
traditionally Caucasian-dominated institution. - Via AdAge

Why are they focusing here?

Rick Cronk, former national president of the Boy Scouts, framed the
dilemma plainly for the Associated Press. "We either are going to
figure out how to make scouting the most exciting, dynamic organization
for Hispanic kids," he said, "or we're going to be out of business."

"There's very little emotional connection among Latino parents," added
Mr. Medlicott. "With immigrating families, we can't rely on the
word-of-mouth, father-to-son dynamic." Instead, he said the Scouts are
relying on a platform that he said transcends ethnic background. "It's
a focus on core-values -- of what scouting does for kids," he said.
"For 100 years they've created the world's leaders -- business,
government, society in general. We want parents to know the Boy Scouts
increase their child's chance of success."

While I was never a Boy Scout, I do know it was one way a lot of kids were first introduced to outdoor sports. So really this initiative is a means to creating a cultural shift on a larger scale.

January 04, 2009

Here is an example of Latino youth exerting a "personality" on pop culture. The Martinez Brothers demonstrate the meaningful and lasting influence of introducing successive generations to new things.

After discovering his sons’ interest in online mixing programs like
VirtualDJ but disapproving of the profanity of the hip-hop songs they
were playing, Mr. Martinez bought them their own equipment — and some
music.

“My dad comes from where D.J. culture began,” Stevie Jr.
said. “So he’s like, ‘Let me show these guys where D.J.ing comes from.’
We gravitated to disco because everything was live. The musical aspect
of it was something that hip-hop didn’t have.”

It wasn’t long
before the boys made their father a mixtape, and its quality made him
pull over his car while he was driving on Interstate 95. “I called
Stevie on my cell, and I say: ‘You guys did not do this cassette. Stop
playing around with me,’ ” Mr. Martinez recalled. “Stevie was really
good with the deep house, and Christian was good with the disco. My
head started to spin. One was 14, and one was 12.” - Via NYTimes

January 03, 2009

What is going to happen to outdoor open spaces if more the diverse young people of America are not integrated into action+outdoor sports?

Everyone loses out...In the future, environmental legislation will be affected by how connected people feel to nature. If you don't have a history of being exposed to beaches, mountains, and water then there's a good chance you won't vote in favor of preserving them.

In 2006, the number of people living in urban areas exceeded those in rural ones. The cool thing is that activities like snowboarding or surfing connect with people a sense of place in nature. This is why its important to use them as tools for educating citizens...framing the context.

“Snowboarders are attached to the natural world,” he said. “They are
going to be more apt to buy something that he or she feels is
ecologically better for the planet. And if more sales are determined by
how green you are, then you’re going to have everybody doing it.” - Via NYTimes